Page 41 - Door Supervision Training Booklet

Any arrests/seizures/ejections concerning controlled drugs should be either noted at the time in the door supervisor's notebook, or in the occurrence log held at the point of entry.
Drugs Litter
Whilst patrolling licensed premises when open, and at the end of each session, door supervisors should actively check for any of the obvious signs that drug taking and dealing are occurring;
• Syringes and needles (from injecting)
• Scorched tinfoil (from smoking heroin or crack)
• Razor blades, penknives, credit cards (from cutting drugs)
• Straws or rolled up bank notes/paper (from snorting cocaine)
• Small pipes (from smoking various drugs)
• Burnt spoons/cotton wool filters (from preparing drugs for injecting)
• Discarded citric acid or lemon juice (from heroin taking)
• Discarded magazine paper 'wraps' (packaging)
• Discarded small pieces of clingfilm (packaging)
• Discarded small self-seal bags (packaging)
• Cigarette ends with rolled cardboard filters (cannabis)
• Torn cardboard or 'Rizla' packets (cannabis)
Dealers
Drug dealers come in all shapes, sizes, colours and ages, and make it their business not to stand out or bring attention to themselves. For this reason door supervisors have to be particularly vigilant to prevent regular dealers from starting up business on their licensed premises.
Dealers tend to position themselves in the same place whenever they visit a venue to deal, so that the customers get to know where to find them. These places tend to be the darker, more secluded areas of the pub or club, usually as far away from the door staff and bar staff as possible. They will often spend much of their time looking out for other people who might be watching them. Good dealers also sometimes use 'runners' and minders to help them carry and supply the drugs, so regular short visits to a suspected dealer by another person would warrant further observations, particularly watching for any obvious passing of cash or the drugs themselves.
Police
The local police or drugs squad officers can be called upon to assist licensed premises if the management or the door staff feel they are starting to get a problem which could ultimately cost them their licence. The local police licensing officer will have more sympathy and respect for any licensee or manager who goes to the police for help than for one who leaves it until the police themselves discover the problem, and have to carry out a drugs raid to put a stop to it.
Close and regular co-operation between licensed premises and the police can help in the fight against drug misuse and dealing, and door supervisors have the front-line job of assisting the licensee in supervising the premises effectively.
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